Howbridge Infant School, Witham
Howbridge Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Witham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Howbridge Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Howbridge Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 84 families put Howbridge Infant School as their first choice and 193 named it as one of their preferences, for 89 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Howbridge Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Howbridge Infant School are Howbridge Church of England Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 64% maths); Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 87% reading, 70% maths); Chipping Hill Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 83% maths); and Witham Oaks Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths).
Howbridge Church of England Junior SchoolHoly Family Catholic Primary SchoolChipping Hill Primary SchoolWitham Oaks Academy
Who goes there
5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 31 pupils (11.7%) received SEN support and 5 (1.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Witham (Essex) Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Howbridge Estate (adjacent), 180 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Howbridge Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Howbridge Infant School are Lift Maltings (0.4 miles) and Lift New Rickstones (1.8 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
23.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
29.4
Infant (KS1)
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Howbridge Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Howbridge Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Howbridge Infant School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Howbridge Infant School
Will you get a place at Howbridge Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Howbridge Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Howbridge Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Howbridge Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Howbridge Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
267 pupils
270 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Witham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Witham
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
13.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
265
Total Pupils
122
Boys
143
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,631
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,211
Per pupil
£1565k
Total funding
£94k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
13.4%
Persistent absence
186
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Howbridge Infant School
Questions parents ask about Howbridge Infant School
What is Howbridge Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Howbridge Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2023.
What is the catchment area for Howbridge Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Howbridge Infant School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Howbridge Infant School?
Howbridge Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Howbridge Infant School?
Classes at Howbridge Infant School average 29.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Howbridge Infant School?
Howbridge Infant School has around 265 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Howbridge Infant School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Howbridge Infant School in 2024/25. 13.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Howbridge Infant School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Howbridge Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Howbridge Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Howbridge Infant School?
Howbridge Infant School is at Dengie Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 1DJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)